People, Parc & Puppies

Hello and bonjour to you. We are in Valence for the next two days and I was hoping to visit another market, being as it was a Saturday (although markets seem to be held on various different days throughout the week here in France). Markets anywhere in the world are wonderful places, not only to see a variety of products and produce but also people. This is some of what we saw this morning at the market, ten minutes walk from our little place in Central Valence.

Lunch today was a poulet and fromage-filled baguette “coupe en deux, s’il vous plait” (which means “cut in half, please” because they are so big), and a pastry each, from La Mie Caline or The Crumb Cuddle. Isn’t that just a wee bit cute? By the way, ou sont tous les toilettes publiques en France? For a place where people seem to drink an awful lot of coffee and wine, one would expect to see them on every street corner. Mais non.

A few streets away from the market is Le Parc Jouvet. (I’ve called on Clive again for this next bit….) Valence used to be a walled town and was designated as a military stronghold. In the 1700s it was the site of an artillery school. Due to its close vicinity to the town, the citizens complanied about the noise and the danger of flying canon balls (understandable!). The authorities convinced the artiliary school to move and intended to buy the land for a park. The funds however, were not so easily found. Fortunately a local businesman by the name of Theodore Jouvet, offered to purchase the land for the town and the park was named after him. If you look closely at the photo of the cliff face you will see the ruins of a thirteen century castle, which used to be the stronghold controlling the Rhone river and valley.

And now we are pooped. It’s exhausting stuff this being on holiday business.

P.S. Sasha did you spot the photo of the frog?